Some big new things are coming to Nikon’s line of mirrorless cameras.
Now, out of the hundreds of articles I’ve written for Fstoppers over the past few years, I believe this is the first I’ve written about a firmware update. All in all, these are pretty serious business, more like brushing one’s teeth than a fun evening out on the town. Honestly, there’s usually not much to say. In fact, I admit I’m one of those people who don’t even always bother to update the firmware multiple times unless the affected camera has a particularly bad performance.
But early buyers Nikon Z 9 has been promised a bunch of great new features in the second round of software since before the camera was released. To be fair, the camera works perfectly fine without any updates. Since receiving my Z 9 at the end of December, the camera has gone from curiosity to absolute necessity for me. Like a spoiled child who refuses to leave his favorite toy at home, it becomes the camera I want to take everywhere. Even in some jobs where specific specifications or project requirements allow me to choose other gear, I can’t help but try and find a way to shoot with the Z 9 instead.
Especially on the video front, where I have a plethora of cinema camera rental options to capture footage for any given project, I still find myself enjoying shooting with the Z 9 whenever possible. body. So far, I’ve shot over a hundred hours of footage through my Z 9 and made a lot of work that I’m proud of while feeling extremely comfortable with the sensor and the resulting footage. I also processed thousands of still frames through the Z 9, even creating a few images that won me a few awards that I had long hoped for and allowed me to create art in a way that own.
Needless to say, almost six months later, I still love the Z 9. So when I saw a press release today suggesting that the camera is about to get better, much better, I had to convey. news.
Video update
From my introduction, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the truly headline-grabbing features for me personally in firmware 2.0 for the Nikon Z 9 appear on video. The biggest headline is the introduction of the 12-bit .NEV Nikon raw video format at up to 8K 60p and oversampling at 4K UHD 60p. This format allows you to retain the maximum amount of information from the scene but still produce smaller video files that are easier on your editing system. For those who want a smaller file, there will be the option to record raw video in 4K as well as 8K. Having been frustrated in the past by other cinema cameras that force you to shoot at the highest resolution when shooting raw, being able to shoot at a lower resolution while still retaining the power of raw video is a great benefit.
But to my surprise, the new firmware update also introduces many more things that are extremely important to moviemaking, including a built-in waveform monitor as well as the ability to create proxies during movie recording to help with better rendering and speeding up your post-production process accordingly. They’ve made improvements to the user interface by adding different video-focused info layouts as well as the ability to have the outside of the frame light up red when in recording mode. As someone who has problems with my eyesight, this clearer red box around the frame would be a godsend to confirm when I’m rolling or not.
The camera will also now allow for more fine-tuned exposure adjustments in 1/6 increments. The press release also mentions a new Fast AF-ON function, which allows you to change the speed of change faster when switching focus between subjects. I don’t know how this will work, but I can’t wait to try it.
Still photography
Oh, and I forgot to mention that the Z 9 is in fact a great stills camera – in my opinion. With a new firmware update, you’ll now be able to have the option of pre-release capturing those hard-to-capture moments. Similar to a video camera, which offers a pre-roll mode that can continuously record just a little bit of the scene before you hit the record button to give you a chance, in case you trigger it late, the pre-release button will allows you to capture potentially important frames even before you have time to react and press down on the shutter. This feature can be a lifesaver if you are a photojournalist or a bird and wildlife photographer or another type of shooter who depends on being available at all times.
They’ve improved AF performance in low-light situations and new subject detection patterns for AF tracking. They have also improved the performance of the viewfinder. I’ll take care of that, as the Z 9’s existing light-free free viewfinder is already one of the best I’ve used in a mirrorless camera.
Z 6II and Z 7II
Users of Z 6II and Z 7II have not yet been left out of joy. Version 1.4 of the firmware for the Z 9’s smaller brothers will include improved autofocus performance. The press release specifically notes that it addresses the tendency of cameras to want to focus on the background instead of your subject over time. I had that problem many times on the Z 6II and was happy to see it resolved. The update also includes the ability to use linear focus with selected lenses to add more functionality to the scope.
The new firmware will be available on April 20th. And, for the time being at least, it won’t be a firmware update I’d like to miss.
